Good image, victory and provisional leadership. Who was going to tell Real Madrid twelve days ago, when they fired Xabi Alonso and released Arbeloa, losing in the Cup against Albacete. This Saturday, The white team has beaten Villarreal, the thriving third place in LaLigawith a double from Kylian Mbappé (0-2).
Arbeloa’s men have been solid in one of the most complicated fields of the league tournament. As their coach asked them in the previous press conference, the white players They have shown the competitiveness they exhibited in the Champions League against Monaco.
Opposite, an excellent Villarreal. Far from the shadow that wanders through Europe, in the League Marcelino’s team works perfectly well and has challenged Madrid on many occasions, despite not being able to do any real damage.
Despite the local training, the fight was frenetic from the start, with Villarreal supported by a brilliant Gerard Moreno and the new African champion Pape Gueye on the move, and Madrid dancing to the rhythm of Güler and a willful Mastantuono, with Mbappé and Vinicius sharpening their teeth.
Infallible Mbappé
That tusk, as on so many occasions, was decisive in the match. Mbappé emerged as the great protagonist with two goals in the second half. The first, in the restart when he took advantage of a semi-miss clearance by Pape Gueye after a good raid by Vinicius. The second, already in stoppage time, when he converted a penalty caused by himself ‘like Panenka’. 21 goals already for the Madrid star in 21 League games.
Villarreal cannot cope with the goals against them, despite the great opportunity inside the area that Gerard sends to the stands, and he saw how a great opportunity to get fully into the fight for the League slipped away. To make matters worse, he suffered the misfortune of Foyth, who had to retire after suffering a worrying injury in the first half.
